Tongue buckle and process for making same



T. RUSSELL TONGUE BUCKLE AND PROCESS FOR MAKING SAME Filed June l0 1930 i Thenfdure Plssell. @lum/mj Patented Oct. 11, 1932` UNITED STATE-s THEODORE RUSSELL, 0F NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT TONGUE BUCKLE AND Pno'cnss Fon MAKINGSAME Application mea June 1o, i

This invention relates to buckles, and more particularly to an improvement in a process of manufacturing pivoted tongue buckles, whereby the tongue of the buckle is produced directly from the metal of thebuckle frame. v One object of this invention is to provide a process of producingbuckles which will be Usimple in operation, economical of labor and material, and in which the buckle produced will be ornamental in appearance, and eiiicient and durable in use. With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing: l Fig. l: represents a plan view of a metal vstrip showing the appearance of the buckle after the various successive steps of the'process have taken place.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. AReferring now to the drawing in which` like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates the original flat met-al 'strip from which the buckle is made, said strip being fed by suitable mechanism, not shown, through an automatic stamping and bending machine, not shown, from left to right as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. The various vsuccessive steps of the process are adapted to 4be performed by a series of tools consisting of dies and plunger-s, not shown, between which said strip is moved intermittently.

The first step in the process consists of a 4, piercing operation by means of which two metal pieces are stamped out leaving a pair of rectangular openingsll and 12 in said strip. The longitudinal piece between said openings 11 and 12 is partially pointed at the Y end 13, but not entirely `severed from the frame.

The second step, which occurs after the strip hasbeen moved through the machine a distance equal to the length of the finished buckle frame 15, the ends Vof, which lare indicated by the 'dotted lines, consists in another 19 of the cross-bar into engagementwith .the base of said tonguexat the point 29. ThisV 1 1930. serial No. `46a-1er.

cross-bar sections 16V and 17 are left at vthe 1. center of the frame, and said sections 16 and 17 have reduced central portions 18 and 19 which are joined together by a longitudinal tongue section 20 having a free end 21 which .is adapted to be ,laterbent about the cross-f barof the buckle frame. It will beunderstood that the tongue is thus formed from material which is scrapped in the ordinary process ofmanufacturing buckle frames, and thereby results in a great saving of cost thereover.` v. v

The 'third'step ,consistsin simultaneously bending thefreeend 21 of the tongue into ,a curved section 22andV a Vifrertical heel 23, fas most clearly shown inFig..2, and shearing the cross-bar sections 16 and 17 from the 1 tongue section 20.

The fourth step in the process consists in pressing the ffree'end. of the tongue 20 down-- wardly out of theplaneof the frame 15 and then closing in the initially straightsides 24:

` and 25 of the buckle frame to form inwardly curved. side members 26 andf27, and'causing the cross-barsectionsly and 17 to be brought nto abutment to vform a continuous crossar. The fifthstep, which occurs immediately aftery the squeezing-in of the cross-bar sections, consists in shearing the point 13 of the 80 tongue from the left-hand `end 28 of the` buckle frame, after which the .heel 23, Vofthe tongue will be bent-rearwardly and downwardly around the reduced sections 18 and last operation is preferably accomplishedy with theV aid of a stationarybumper not shown, located onthe edgefof, the machine in the path of the tongue;

The sixth and last step of the process .consists in shearing the left-hand'end 28 of the buckle frame 15 away froml the strip 10. The buckle isth'en completely formed and the process has been completed. i, 9;, It will be understood' that if desired, in! stead of forming the tongue in themanner above described, the tongue V`may be blanked out completely fromthestrip in the first (operationLand. the stamped-out tongue Alater connected to the frame by bending its loopend around the squeezed-in cross-bar sections, within the' spirit and scope of the linvention.

It will also be understood that the process may be performed by hand as well as by ma- Y chine as herein described.

kWhile thererhas been disclosed 'in this specification one form in which the invention may be'embodied, it is to be understood thatvthis form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, andV that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and 'embodiedinfvarious other formsA without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, v

cross-bar sections to come into abutment, and

bending the end of said tongue around said cross-bar. c

2. The process of making a buckle having a hinged tongue connected to a cross-bar,

rwhich comprises stamping two pieces out of one end of a metal fram-e, leaving a tongue Y section therebetween, the end Lof which is still connected to said frame, stamping a single piece out of the other end of said frame leav- Ying a centraltongue section having a free end, transverse cross-bar sections being formed at the center of said frame integral with said tongue sections, severing said crossbar sections from said tongue sections, bending said tongue about the end of the frame until its free end section is below the plane of said frame, pressing the sides of said frame inwardly to bring said cross-bar sections into abutment, andl bending the freey end of the said tongue around said cross-bar.

Y 3. The process of makinga buckle having a hinged tongue connected to a cross-bar, which comprises stamping two pieces out of one end of aV metal frame leaving a tongue section therebetween, ,the end of whichV is still connected to said frame, stamping a single piece out of the other end of said frame leaving a central tongue section having afree end, transverse cross-bar 'sections being formed at the center `of said frame integral with said tonguesections, v,severing said cross-barrsections from said tongue sections,

bending said tongue about the end of the Lacasse frame until its free end section is below the plane of said frame, pressing the sides of said frame inwardly to bring said cross-bar sections into abutment, severing the end of said tongue from the frame, and bending the other end of said tongue around said crossbar.

4. The process of making a buckle having a hinged tongue connected to a cross-bar, which comprises stamping two pieces out of one end of a metal frame leaving a tongueV section'therebetweem the end of which is still Connected to said frame, stamping a single lpiece out vof the other Aend of said frame leavingacentral tongue sectionY having a free end, transverse cross-bar sections being formed at the center of said frame having reduced inner extremitiesy integral with said tongue sections, severing said cross-bar sections from said tongue sections,f

bending said tongue about the end of the frameuntil its free end sectionvis below .the plane of said frame, pressing the sides uof said frame inwardly to bringsaid cross-bar sections into abutment, and bending the freeV end of said tongue around said cross-bar.

5. The process of making a hinged-tongue lbuckle from a single metal blank, which comprises stamping end pieces out of said blank leaving a pair of transverse cross-bar sections. and a longitudinal tongue integral therewith, severing said tongue from said cross-bar sections, forcing the inner extremities ofsaid cross-bar sections into abutment,

and looping one end of said tongue around Y the abutted ends of said cross-bar sections. Y

6. The process of making a hinged-tongue buckle fromy a single metal blank, which comprises stainping a tongue: from the longitudinal central section of saidv blank leaving a pair of spaced transverse cross-bar sections, forcing said cross-bar sections inwardly into abutment, and looping one end of said tonguel around the abutted ends of said cross-bar sections. f

7 The process of makinga hinged tongue y buckle, which comprises cutting out'metal from the end sections of a sheet metalblank to produce an intermediate transversely eX- tending member integral with said blank, and a longitudinal tongue member having one end integral with said blank, `looliiingvthe other end of said tongue member around saidV intermediate member, andl detaching said tongue member from said blank.

8.l In a buckle, a sheet metalframe having openings at both ends with a pair of inter-l mediate transverse cross bar'members eX- tending inwardly lfrointhe vsides Vof said frame, a sheet metal tongue, the sides of said frame being bent inwardly to .bring said cross bar members into abutment,^one end of said tongue being looped around the abutting sections of said members. v

9. In abuckle, a sheet metal frame having interior openings near both ends leaving an intermediate transverse cross bar member, a tongue havin one end bent around said cross bar, the sides of said frame being forced inwardly, the width of said tongue being approximately equal to the distance said sides have been forced in.

In testimony whereof, I have aixed my signature to this specification.

THEODORE RUSSELL. 

